The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is now accepting proposals for the FY 2016 Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program funded through the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA). The total estimated funding for this competitive opportunity is approximately $26 million. The Request for Proposals (RFP) is posted on www.grants.gov. The RFP and additional information is also posted at www.epa.gov/cleandiesel/clean-diesel-national-grants#rfp .

This RFP will close on April 26, 2016. EPA expects to make awards in the fall. This RFP has been updated from the most recent competition, so applicants are encouraged to carefully review the RFP. For more information about this funding opportunity, please visit www.epa.gov/cleandiesel/clean-diesel-national-grants#rfp.

Questions may be emailed to cleandiesel@epa.gov or to info@louisianacleanfuels.org.

Clean Diesel National Grants

EPA is announcing a $26 million funding opportunity for the Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. The Program is soliciting proposals nationwide for projects that achieve significant reductions in diesel emissions in terms of tons of pollution produced by diesel engines and diesel emissions exposure, particularly from fleets operating in areas designated by the Administrator as poor air quality areas.

The closing date and time for receipt of proposals is Tuesday, April 26, 2016, at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) in order to be considered for funding. Proposal packages must be submitted electronically to EPA through Grants.gov (www.grants.gov) no later than Tuesday, April 26, 2016, at 4:00 p.m. (ET) in order to be considered for funding.

Examples of Projects that EPA will fund

Verified Idle Reduction Technologies: EPA will not fund stand-alone idle reduction technologies, except for idle reduction technologies on locomotives, shore connection systems and truck stop electrification technologies, or previously retrofitted school buses, as discussed below. EPA will fund up to 100% of the cost (labor and equipment) of an eligible, verified idle reduction technology if that technology is combined on the same vehicle with a new eligible verified exhaust control funded under this RFP, as described in Section I.B.2.a.

Verified Idle Reduction Technologies on School Buses: Funding can cover up to 100% of the cost (labor and equipment) of verified idle reduction technologies on school buses with model year 2006 or older engines that have been previously retrofitted with a verified emission control device.

Verified Locomotive Idle Reduction Technologies: EPA will fund up to 40% of the cost (labor and equipment) of eligible idle reduction technologies on locomotives.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announced $500 million will be made available for transportation projects across the country under an eighth round of the highly successful Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) competitive grant program.

“The TIGER program funds vital transportation projects that provide real benefits to communities all across the country. Every year, we see hundreds of compelling applications that have the potential to improve people's access to economic opportunities, make people safer, and improve their well-being.” said Secretary Foxx. “I am proud that for seven rounds, TIGER has been able to make a valuable contribution to improving our nation’s transportation infrastructure, and I look forward to this year’s competition.”

Like the first seven rounds, FY 2016 TIGER discretionary grants will fund capital investments in surface transportation infrastructure and will be awarded on a competitive basis for projects that will have a significant impact on the nation, a metropolitan area, or a region.

The 2016 TIGER grant program will continue to make transformative surface transportation investments by providing improvements over existing conditions. The grant program will focus on capital projects that generate economic development and improve access to reliable, safe and affordable transportation for communities, both urban and rural.

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016, does not provide dedicated funding for the planning, preparation, or design of capital projects; however, these activities may be funded as part of an overall construction project.

Since 2009, TIGER has provided nearly $4.6 billion to 381 projects in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, including 134 projects to support rural and tribal communities. Demand has been overwhelming, and during the previous seven rounds, the Department received more than 6,700 applications requesting more than $134 billion for transportation projects across the country.

The highly competitive TIGER grant program supports innovative projects, including multi-modal and multi-jurisdictional projects, which are difficult to fund through traditional federal programs. These federal funds leverage money from private sector partners, states, local governments, metropolitan planning organizations, ports, and transit agencies. The 2015 TIGER round alone is leveraging $500 million in federal investment to support $1.4 billion in overall transportation investments.

TIGER funding is provided in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016, signed by President Obama on December 18, 2015. Applications are due April 29, 2016. For more information on how to apply, please visit www.transportation.gov/TIGER.

Turning Waste into Vehicle Fuel

In response to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) tightening emissions standards for landfills and farmers, LCF and Energy Vision, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to researching, analyzing, and promoting the technologies and strategies required to transition into a sustainable transportation future, teamed up to bring together experts from across the country to help farms, waste water treatment facilities and landfills learn how to harvest their methane emissions and turn it into a valuable resource - renewable natural gas! CNG fleets are also invited to learn about another way to fuel their natural gas vehicles.

St. Landry Solid Waste harnesses methane gas from their landfill site, and then produces BioCNG to power their fleet's vehicles and their BioCNG station. Progressive Waste recently signed an agreement with St. Landry to fuel their vehicles at the station with the expanded BioCNG system.

Learn more about RNG by watching LCFTV's webinar on St. Landry's BioCNG system.

Question of the Month: Clean Cities uses a lot of acronyms. What are the most important ones to understand?

Answer: Have you ever been on the DOE’s AFDC to learn about EVSE for EVs or PHEVs to meet EPAct requirements? Let’s take a step back. Perhaps you feel like you need a translator just to understand the basics of alternative fuels and advanced vehicles. If this sounds familiar, get in the know with our list of the top Clean Cities acronyms, broken down into 10 categories:

Federal Agencies and National Laboratories

DOE:U.S. Department of Energy: The federal agency with the mission to ensure America’s security and prosperity by addressing its energy, environmental, and nuclear challenges through transformative science and technology solutions.Clean Cities is part of that overall mission. DOE includes:

DOE National Laboratories: Organizations affiliated with DOE, focused on delivering solutions to energy challenges and transforming the way our nation uses energy. There are more than a dozen DOE national laboratories. The labs that contribute to the work of Clean Cities include:

ANL: Argonne National Laboratory

INL: Idaho National Laboratory

NREL: National Renewable Energy Laboratory

ORNL: Oak Ridge National Laboratory

PNNL: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

DOT:U.S. Department of Transportation: A federal agency with the mission to ensure a fast, safe, efficient, accessible, and convenient transportation system that meets our national interests and enhances the quality of life of the American people, today and into the future. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is part of DOTEPA: U.S.Environmental Protection Agency:A federal agency with the mission to protect human health and the environment.

AFDC: Alternative Fuels Data Center:A web-based resource that provides information, data, and tools to help fleets and other transportation decision makers find ways to reduce petroleum consumption through the use of alternative and renewable fuels, advanced vehicles, and other fuel-saving measures.

Vehicle Characteristics GVWR: Gross vehicle weight rating:A metric that includes total vehicle weight plus fluids, passengers, and cargo. GVWR is used to define vehicle classes.VMT: Vehicle miles traveled:VMT is the number of miles traveled by a vehicle or set of vehicles over a certain time period.

Fuel EconomyMPG: Miles per gallon: The standard for tracking a vehicle’s fuel economy.

MPGe: Miles per gallon of gasoline-equivalent: For vehicles that do not use liquid fuels, a measure of fuel economy that allows for a reasonable comparison between vehicles using different fuels. MPGe represents the number of miles the vehicle can go using a quantity of fuel with the same energy content as a gallon of gasoline.

GGE: Gasoline gallon equivalent:The amount of fuel it takes to equal the energy content of one liquid gallon of gasoline.

DGE: Diesel gallon equivalent:The amount of fuel it takes to equal the energy content of one liquid gallon of diesel.

GHG: Greenhouse gas: A global pollutant, meaning it has climate and other impacts globally, no matter where it is emitted. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is by far the most abundant GHG produced by the transportation sector.

Air pollutants:

CO: Carbon monoxide: A colorless, odorless gas emitted from combustion processes. In the United States, 56% of CO (up to 95% in cities) is emitted by on-road vehicles.

NOx: Oxidesof nitrogen:A group of highly reactive gasses emitted from combustion processes that contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone. Approximately 55% of man-made NOx emissions come from motor vehicles.

SOx: Oxides of sulfur:A group of highly reactive gasses emitted from combustion processes. SOx is a concern for life cycle analysis of electric vehicle emissions, but not for conventional or other alternative fuel vehicles, because electricity generation is the largest source of SOx.

PM: Particulatematter: A complex mixture of acids, organic chemicals, metals, and soil or dust particles, emitted directly from vehicles (especially diesel) and formed through the atmospheric reactions of NOx and SOx.

VOC: Volatile organic compound: Organic compounds that become a gas at room temperature. VOCs are the leading cause of ground-level ozone, also known as smog.

Alternative Fuels and Alternative Fuel Vehicles

AFV: Alternative fuel vehicle:Any dedicated, flexible fuel, bi-fuel, or dual-fuel vehicle designed to operate on at least one alternative fuel.

Biodiesel

B5: 5% biodiesel, 95% petroleum diesel: Considered diesel fuel and approved for safe operation in any compression-ignition engine designed to operate on petroleum diesel.

B20: 20% biodiesel, 80% petroleum diesel: The most common biodiesel blend in the United States.

B100: 100% biodiesel: Also referred to as pure biodiesel.

Electricity

HEV: Hybrid electric vehicle: Powered by an internal combustion engine (ICE) and an electric motor that uses energy stored in a battery. The battery is charged through regenerative braking and by the ICE.

PEV: Plug-in electric vehicle:Derives all or part of their power from electricity supplied by the electric grid. PEVs include:

PHEV: Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle: An HEV that can be plugged into an electric power source to charge the battery.

EV: All-electric vehicle: Uses a battery to store the electric energy that powers the motor. Batteries are charged by plugging the vehicle into an electric power source.EVSE: Electric vehicle supply equipment: Deliver electrical energy from an electricity source to charge a PEV’s batteries.

FFV: Flexible fuel vehicle: A vehicle with an ICE capable of operating on gasoline, E85, or a mixture of the two.

Hydrogen

FCEV: Fuel cellelectricvehicle:A vehicle that uses electricity to power a motor, but produces its primary electricity using a fuel cell powered by hydrogen.

Natural Gas

CNG: Compressed natural gas

LNG: Liquefied natural gas

RNG: Renewable natural gas: Also known as biomethane, a fuel produced from organic materials (e.g., waste from landfills, livestock). It can be compressed or liquefied, and is pipeline-quality gas that is compatible with conventional natural gas in vehicles.

CAFE: Corporate Average Fuel Economy: DOT standards to improve the fuel efficiency and emissions of new on-road motor vehicles.

CMAQ: Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement: A DOT program that provides funding for projects and programs to reduce transportation-related emissions.

RFS: Renewable Fuel Standard:An EPA program that requires transportation fuel sold in the United States to contain a minimum volume of renewable fuels to reduce GHG emissions.

RINs:Renewable Identification Numbers: Credits used for compliance with the RFS.

Key Federal LegislationCAA: Clean Air Act of 1970:Defines EPA’s responsibilities for protecting and improving air quality. CAA authorizes the development of comprehensive federal and state regulations to limit both stationary and mobile emissions sources. EPAct:Energy Policy Act:EPAct 1992 encourages the use of alternative fuels through both regulatory and voluntary activities that DOE carries out. It was amended several times, including via EPAct 2005.

EISA: Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007:Aims to improve vehicle fuel economy and reduce United States dependence on petroleum. EISA includes provisions for the RFS and CAFE standards.

ARRA: American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) of 2009: Appropriates investments in energy independence and renewable energy technologies, including Clean Cities and other grant programs.

Bonus

TRS:Technical Response Service: Sometimes you even need an acronym to figure out an acronym! That’s where the TRS comes in. For assistance with technical questions about alternative fuels and advanced vehicles, email the TRS at technicalresponse@icfi.com or call 800-254-6735.